Warning light and test button



Aug. 8, 1944. c. A. DE GIERS 2,355,149

WARNING LIGHT AND TEST BUTTON Fnd April 13. 1940' INVENTOR BY /l/M, ,QMMM

y yATTORNEYS YPatented A'ug. 8, 1944 WARNING LIGHT ANDTEST BUTTON Clarence A. de Glers, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to The Liquidometel' Corporation, Long Island Gity, N. Y., a corporation ot Delaware applicativa April 13, 1940,` serial No. 329,430

s claims. y(C1. r11-329) This invention pertains to electric warning lights of the kind used on aircraft instrument panels. These warning lights may be connected to indicate the position of movable parts, such as retractable landing gears, the level of gasoline in the fuel tanks, oil pressure, or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide the operator with means for instantly testing the lamp itself. y

Another object is to provide means for instantly replacing the lamp if it be defective.

Another object is to provide a color screen independent of the lamp itself so that colored lamps are not required.

Another object is to have the warning light show as a ring around a push button, thus serving to prevent reflection from sunlight or other lights, which might give the impression that the warning light is lit.

Another object is to use the base of the lamp as the push button.

Another object is to provide a warning signal by light reflected from behind, through a colored screen, and then through a ring or bulls-eye of ytranslucent material.

sleeve or tube vI3 surrounds bulb I0 in socket |4 and serves to aid in the support of concave reiiector 20, and of metallic contact button 22, the inner surfaces of which also serve as reflectors. Spring 24, between reflector 20 and metallic crossbar 26 normallykeeps button 22 out of contact with bar 26. Bar 26 is attached to panel 28 by screws 30 through spacer sleeves 32. Reilector 20 has a flange 34 notched around sleeves 32 in sliding engagement, therewith. Ring I6 serves to insulate socket I4 from panel 28 and' other metallic parts'.

Current is normally supplied to the lamp from battery 36 through wire` 38, socket I4, the lamp filament, wire 40, switch 42 to ground. If everything is in order and the switch 42 is closed, the

\ rays from lamp i0, guided by reflectors 22, 20,

l to ground.

and from the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is now considered the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure lis a cross-section of one embodiment of the invention.

' Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3 on a reduced scale.

Fig. 5 is a panel showing front views of three units of the kind shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the test lamp comprising a bulbi!) and a base I2 is screwed into socket I4 which is a press 4lit in translucent ring I6, all of which elements constitute parts of a push button lamp unit adapted for installation in an' in strument panel 28. and with the translucent ring I6- projecting slightly from the face of said panel so that the light from said .bulb through said ring towards the front of said panel may also be a, visible from an angle. A transparent spacer will pass through sleeve I8 and color screen 44 to illuminate translucent ring I6. Thus, when the system is operating normally, the light indicates the position of the switch 42 or the condition of any of the above mentioned movable parts that happens to be employed to control it.

If, with switch 42 closed, there is no illumination of ring I6, and the operator wishes to know whether or not the lamp itself is in working order, he simply pushes on lamp base I2, as on a push button, to place button 22 in contact with bar 26, whereupon a test circuit is established through the lamp from the source by way of lines 38, 40, button 22, bar 26 and line 46 If the lamp is found defective, it may be instantly removed and replaced from the front.

'I'he circuitsdescribed above are 'shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front view, partly broken away, of a panel with devices according to Fig. 1 for testing fuel tanks. v

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional and front views, respectively, of a modiflcation of the invention in which the illumination is in the form of a bullseye above the test lamp instead of being a ring` I6 around the lamp. In Fig. 3 contact button 48 has a surface 50 which reflects the light rays upwardly through transparent member 52 to appear as a bulls-eye at 54. A tank identifying numeral 56 may be placed so as to be visible through the bulls-eye at 54, if desired.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the vspecific embodiment herein illustrated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

ing lam for an instrument panel, of a pushbutton concealing, supporting and surrounding said lamp and with the lamp projecting toward the rear o! said push button, means including contact devices operated by depression of said push button lor energizing said lamp to light the same to test its operativeness, and a iront window and means for indirectly'lighting the same by said lamp when lighted.

2. The combination with an .electrical indicating lamp for an instrument panel, o! a push button concealing, supporting and surrounding said lamp and with the lamp projecting toward the rear of said push button, means including contact devices operated by depression of said push button for energizing said lamp to light the same to test its opexativeness. and a iront window t tact devices operated by depression of said push button for energizing said lamp to light the same to test its operativeness, and a: iront window ad jacent but onset from said push button and means for indirectly lighting said window by said lamp when lighted. f

CLARENCE A. nl GIERB. 

